The BeautyMNL Base Guide: How to Choose the Best Foundation for Your Complexion

Your base affects so much of your face: how natural your makeup looks, how colors flatter your complexion, and even how fresh your skin appears. Because of the infinite number of flesh tones on the market, picking a foundation can be super tricky. Go for too pale a beige and you’ll come off ghostly; go for too deep a brown and it’s a tan gone wrong!

Keeping this in mind, we put together The BeautyMNL Base Guide: a shade-matching manual for Filipina skin.
Think of this guide as a general map. It certainly isn’t the end-all-be-all of all shade guides—there are too many hues in the Filipina spectrum to claim that title! But we are hoping it will narrow down your search for a flattering foundation and make the whole process a little less daunting, especially for beginners. Cheers to meeting your match!

WHAT TO DO

STEP 1: FIND A PEG. We’ve chosen 9 women of different skin tones to represent the fairs, mediums, and deeps across the Filipina spectrum (remember, this should be taken as a general representation). So, whose complexion looks most like yours? This should help you determine if your skin lies closer to the fair, medium, or deep end of the spectrum.

STEP 2: CHECK YOUR SURFACE TONE. Can you identify the subtle differences between the three women in your skin tone range? This time, check if the surface of your skin is most similar to the lightest, the tannest, or the one right in between. This should help you rule out the foundation selection for the other two women, which will either be too light or too dark for your face.

STEP 3: DETERMINE YOUR UNDERTONE. Finally, pick a foundation that goes with your undertone. Are you warm, cool, or neutral? If you’re not sure, just read our Undertone 101. From there, you should be able to make a decision on the best foundation for you.

Now you are well on your way to becoming an ace of base. Good luck, girl!

Some items worth adding:

Acne Pimple Master Patch

Acne Pimple Master Patch

COSRX

CLAIM TO FAME: A pack of hydrocolloid stickers that spot-correct pimples

FAST FACTS: Soothes blemishes and reduces redness; infused with hydrocolloid to coax out deep-rooted pimples, speeding up their life cycle; protects skin against further infection; leaves the complexion clear and spotless